Diamondbacks pitching prospect Patrick Corbin will make his major league debut Monday against the Miami Marlins and starter Josh Collmenter will be moved to the bullpen, manager Kirk Gibson announced Saturday.
Gibson said Friday that he was considering shifting Collmenter out of the bullpen after the right-hander allowed 20 earned runs and six home runs in 18 1/3 innings over four starts while going 0-2. The move was made official Saturday, when the left-handed Corbin was announced as Monday's starter.
"When you go through a season, just as we did last year, you make adjustments," Gibson said. "We've had conversation's that we were going to make a move, and Patrick's the guy."
Corbin, 22, impressed the D-backs in spring training and even outshined highly touted prospects Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs. Corbin came to the D-backs organization in 2010 as part of the Dan Haren trade with the Los Angeles Angels. He was invited to big league camp this spring and remained with the team right up until Opening Day.
In four starts with Double-A Mobile this year, Corbin was 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA. He might join the team Sunday in Miami, at which time the team will make a corresponding move. Gibson did not want to get into specifics of why Corbin was chosen over Bauer or Skaggs, saying simply that the club felt he was the best option.
"We just decided as an organization that he's the guy that's ready to come up," Gibson said. "He's throwing well down there."
Collmenter will move to the bullpen, where he was for six appearances last season.
